When building or renovating our homes, we need to look at the long-term environmental impact of the materials we bring into them.
From carpet,hard flooring, window treatments, paints, furniture fabric, insulation and kitchens - just choosing a product can be confusing! You then need to consider things such as form, function, colour, durability, warranties, product reviews and your family's safety!
I'll provide helpful knowledge to make life much easier when making these decisions and simultaneously helping the planet.
Plastic is a versatile and abundant material that comes in many apparent forms, but plastic is also included in synthetic carpets, upholstery, curtains, and clothing. Thankfully, we are part of an era who are more aware of the global implications and solutions.
Wool
100% natural, biodegradable, and renewable Harrisons' wool is grown in New Zealand’s high country, so you can support local businesses too. It can breathe and offer thermal insulation, meaning a warm home in winter and a cool in summer.
Wool is also the best carpet for allergy and asthma sufferers due to its resistance to bacteria, mould, and mildew.
TIP: Wool carpets come in various loop piles, adding texture, layers and luxury to any space.
Synthetic Carpets
Synthetic Carpets have improved significantly over recent times, like Harrisons Zen3 carpets, designed with performance, sustainability, and health in mind with plant-based ingredients in the mix.
Zen3 carpets like Rossini and Scala hold the Red List Free healthy carpet certification. The Red List Free label addresses three key concerns: Where it comes from, what it's made of, and what happens at the end of the product's lifecycle? These guys take chemicals seriously.
Also, look out for the new green Environmentally Certified badge on our carpets. You can now choose from 30 environmentally certified carpets, making it easy to find a carpet in your price bracket - these carpets all comply with the Code of Practice for Environmental Management which provides a guide to good environmental management in all aspects of carpet manufacturing, and the subsequent carpet life cycle performance.
TIP: Thanks to permanent stain protection built into every Harrisons Zen3, you only need cold water to remove the most stubborn household food and beverage spills.
Hard Flooring
Harrisons Summit (Hybrid collection) is Green Tag certified, which requires complete transparency from the manufacturers to qualify. Its not only about how the hard flooring is made, its about local sourcing and ethical labour as well.
Tip: Our Hybrid products can be used in wet areas so a cohesive look to your home.
Curtain Fabrics
Indulgence has a OEKO-TEX label. This means every component of the textile has been tested for harmful substances. Products carrying the STANDARD 100 label frequently gain consumer trust and can be found in baby clothes, organic clothing etc.
TIP: For new curtains, opt for floor-length as they keep in the heat versus shorter curtains, and Roman blinds should sit close to the window frame, reducing the air gap.
Roller Blinds
Our most popular roller blind fabrics are linen inspired. They are Greenguard Gold certified, making them the perfect choice for schools and healthcare facilities. Our Linsque, Sanctuary, Spectre and Ecolibrium styles all hold a Greenguard label.
Tip: Jersey roller blinds are my go-to, a light filtering blind with a matching colour blockout blind. An excellent range of colours, easy-clean, PVC free and flame makes this range a firm favourite.
Paint
The paint production usually isn’t planet-friendly, so I recommend looking for the Environmental Choice NZ Logo on Resene paints. This initiative is endorsed by the Ministry for the Environment, aiming to minimise the adverse environmental impacts generated by-product production, distribution, use and disposal.
Tip: All our carpets are colour matched to Resene paints, removing any guesswork when coordinating with walls.
Insulation
Go solar powered
Join thousands of Kiwis going solar-powered with Harrisons Solar. You will save your wallet, as well as the planet.
